NaLu
by ChaosHatsune
Summary: Standing in front of a door, petrified. She stands before the house of Natsu, contemplating what to do. But unbeknownst to her, the celestial mage will discover the benefits of confessing her feelings and the situations that ensue from the answer revealed to her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a revision of my previous entry** ** _Confess!_** **and will feature all chapters from the previous fanfic, however, I will one day delete the other copy once I have informed everybody about the newest revision.**

* * *

Lucy was scared beyond comprehension, standing in front of Natsu's house - petrified. The blonde contemplated whether or not she should go with her plans and knock, but the celestial mage was filled with apprehension. She had no idea how this would all play out, and she really didn't like the thought of doing it, but confronting the issue was better than remaining quiet and having to deal with the silence. After all, the worst that could happen was rejection, right? She was certain that whatever happened, she and the pink-haired man would remain friends. Hopefully. Who knows? The female wizard might just be too embarrassed and ashamed to look him in the eye once all of this was over. But she already went through with that thought and decided that _trying_ was better than doing _nothing_. She was already becoming undone by her feelings, and it was driving her mad. Whatever the answer was, it had to be better than being tormented by her bottled up feelings. The need for an answer was overwhelming. She wanted to get her answer and be rejected, than deal with her internal turmoil any longer.

Sucking in a deep breath, she braced herself and rapped her hand against the door.

Waiting, she heard movement.

Within a moment the door unlocked and there stood Natsu.

"Hey, Lucy! What's up?" he asked, being his usual upbeat self.

"Oh, hey Natsu…" she said rather quietly, a small waver in her voice. Her nervousness noted by Natsu. Despite how dense the man was, even he knew that something was amiss. It wasn't that hard to see it either, worry was etched on her face. Her features pointed out distress.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering if there was someone that needed beating up. He knew that Lucy had weird people trying to court her many times in the past, and that most of them were major creeps with questionable desires. For all he knew, one of Lucy's unorthodox suitors were stalking her or something. That was something that, as Lucy's friend, concerned him. He swore since the day that they met, that he would always be there for her. No matter what. "Is something wrong? You're freaking out."

"Yeah, um...it's hard to explain-"

"I swear, whoever it is, I'll beat the crap out of them!" he interrupted, already jumping into conclusions. While he should have been pissed to the thought of his friend's safety, he was very ecstatic from the thought of a fight. So much, that he was grinning of the thought of dishing out a knuckle sandwich and knocking them out. The opportunity to fight overriding his need for concern. After all, whoever was bothering his teammate deserved what they got for compromising his friend's well-being. They needed to be taught a lesson to treat women better. Either way, they'd learn not to mess with his friend. Anyone who messed with his friends deserved a teaching.

"What? No!" she waved her hands. "It's nothing like that! Honest! Please, don't beat up anybody!" she pleaded.

"Oh…" she said, disappointed. The man deflated at her words. He was looking forward to a fight.

"I actually came here for a reason," she admitted. "So please, stop pouting."

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, he immediately snapped to attention.

"You see, I've been...Well, I've been...you know?" Lucy murmured, growing more nervous as Natsu's onyx eyes stared right at her.

"...yes?" he prodded.

"Well, I, uh - whoo!" she gave out a huge huff, trying to calm herself. "You have no idea how panicky I feel!" the holder-type wizard admitted, unable to spit out what she desperately tried to say.

"Okay, are you sure that there's no one I should beat up?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"No, Natsu, there's no one you have to beat up." She replied, annoyed but amused by his reaction. She didn't bother hiding her smile.

"Well, if I don't get to battle anyone...then why are you here?"

"Well…" she sighed, her nerves frazzled. "I...I like you."

"Oh, Lucy, thanks. I like you too!" the fire user said back, obviously flattered by the friendly remark.

"No, Natsu…" she growled, pinching her nose in indignantance. "I like, _like_ , you."

"...wait." he said, processing her words. "You mean...you like me a lot? Or do you like me _more_ than as a friend?" he said, choosing his words carefully.

"I... _what_ I mean is that is that I like you… as more than as a _friend._ " the teen admitted, her face flushed.

"Oh. Oh. Ooooh…" he said, understanding.

"...yeah so...do you know, feel the same way? To me?" she asked, her voice practically inaudible.

"Well, I'll be honest. I do like you, but I never thought of you as more than a friend…"

"Oh, well, I guess I will be going." the heiress said stiffly, a bit crushed by his rejection. Preparing to walk away, she felt an arm pull her back.

"Hey, I wasn't done talking," he said, quiet but stern. He looked at her, face to face. He made sure that she would hear him clearly. With a reassuring smile, he spoke. "I never thought of it before, but why the heck not? We're both friends and we're both really, really close and I always thought that you were an awesome person. Sure, I never _thought_ of it before, but hey - it's not like I ever plan things out."

"So...you're saying?"

"Let's date! That is...if you want?" he asked, teasing.

"Oh. Oh! Sure! Yeah, sounds good. Let's date." she said, bewildered.

Then it hit her.

She was going to date Natsu.

 _Natsu._

The mage that was as hard-headed as a steel boulder, and as dense as a mountain. A mage that ate fire and was forever loyal to the Fairy Tail guild. A mage that happened to be incredibly strong, intelligent in battle but not at everyday life. A mage that seemed as oblivious to romance and all things dealing with dating, but perceptive of his friends' feelings and emotions with a single whiff of his nose.

 _Natsu Dragneel._

It dawned at her. She was going to date the most strangest, most battle-tenacious man, with the most questionable intellect. A man that also happened to be one of the most caring and intensely loyal people out. A man who happened to have a heart bigger than his motion sickness. Sure, he was also a goofball, and a bit of a moron - she admitted to herself. But there was something beyond all of his characteristics that encaptured her. She was acutely aware that her feelings made her overlook all of his flaws - which she had learnt to deal with - but she also knew how trivial they were. Obviously, her feelings defied the logic of going after someone despite the flaws that ground her nerves. He wasn't a bad person for it, annoying - yes, but not bad. Regardless of her feelings, she must have saw something she liked, or she wouldn't be here in this situation. Strange how attraction worked. Especially since Natsu embodied her every irritant.

"Hey, Lucy? You alright?" he inquired, snapping Lucy out of her train of thought.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking how weird it was."

"Weird what?" he questioned, a bit confused by her answer,

"You and me! Of course! You and me...I just...well, you're the exact _opposite_ of what I want." she confessed, light-headed. "Yet somehow I fell for you. You know, I actually thought you would have rejected me...but y-you _accepted_ my feelings and better yet, you want to _date_ me. I was so worried about how you would react and how negative everything would be, and yet...you're willing to try starting a relationship. I was...I was so scared. Weird, huh? I was just... _scared._ "

"May I ask why? We're friends, it's not like I would make _fun_ of you. That's not how I am."

" _I know._ But that didn't stop me from thinking that way. I never even had a first boyfriend! I didn't know how you would react to my affections. I care for you and I was scared witless by your would-be reaction! I didn't want you to think of me less for...for _liking_ you." she spoke, her eyes directed down at the ground - away from his face.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you scared over that? What's the worse I would have done? Say _no_? I wouldn't treat you differently if I didn't say yes or no. You're my _friend_ and no matter what, you don't dump friends based off feelings alone. That's...well, that's what a _crappy_ friend would do. Me? Never."

This made Lucy feel so much better.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Lucy said, relieved. "I would have hated myself if I lost you as a friend."

"If you lost a friend over unrequited emotions, then were they really your friends? So what's if it's awkward, you never make a friend feel crappy for feeling! And you _don't_ dump them because things get weird."

With her mouth agape, she realized that he was right. Real friends _never_ alienate their friends simply because they didn't return their affections.

"So, um, when should we…?"

"How about -?"

"Natsu! Who are you talking to you?" Happy asked, having rose from his sleep.

"It's Lucy."

"Lucy?" he asked, sounding jovial. He flew towards the door, unaware of the conversation that transpired earlier. "Hey! Funny seeing you here! How are you?"

"Good," she said, grinning.

"So what did I miss?"

"Nothing - " Lucy Heartfilia said, but was interrupted.

"We getting married!"

"Oh, that's good…" he said, looking content, that was, until the thought sank in. "WAIT WHAT?"

"WE'RE NOT GETTING MARRIED! GEEZ, NATSU!" she yelled, absolutely floored by Natsu's stupidity.

"Wait, we weren't?" he said, absolutely perplexed.

"Um, NO!" she yelled, irked.

"Ha! Like Natsu would marry a girl like you! What he needs is _lady_!" he said, clueless on how rude he was. Typical.

"Um, excuse me? A _lady_? You do realize I am right here, you stupid cat!"

"Don't be so rattled, I was only kidding!" he said, after receiving a slap to the head.

"So...if we're not getting married, than what are we doing?"

Completely miffed, Lucy just looked at them with an unimpressed look. Before proceeding to explain. "We're dating, Natsu. Date-ing. Do you understand me?" She said slowly, hoping he would get with the program.

"Kay. So we're _not_ getting married?"

"NO!"

"Oh...so no wedding cake?"


	2. Chapter 2

"So, I heard you two finally hooked up!" said Cana Alberona, Fairy Tail's resident alcoholic whom was feeling rather jovial and was in the mood to tease.

"What…what do you mean?" asked Lucy, a bit confused, but had an inkling of an idea on what the brunette was suggesting.

"You know…" she replied, unhelpful. "We all know who the lucky guy is. Don't lie, we all knew this would happen."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Responded the blonde, attempting to play stupid. She didn't want to humour the woman and instead opted to remain as vague as possible. There was no way that she was ready to confess about her new relationship. In fact, she didn't want anybody to know. Not yet. If word got out, it would be on _her_ terms—and not revealed through some shameless gossip.

"What? Embarrassed?" asked Cana, looking at her with a look of minor confusion.

"What? No! Of course not! I would never be embarrassed to date Natsu!" she admitted, unaware that was exactly what the woman wanted to hear.

"So it _is_ Natsu!" proclaimed the magic card user, the woman giving her a look of satisfaction.

 _Dammit,_ thought Lucy, confounded, _now everybody is going to know who I'm dating now!_

"Relax, I'm sure everybody knows. Why hide it?"

"EVERYBODY? WHO TOLD YOU?"

"Wow, you don't know?"

"What do you mean "you don't know?'" asked Lucy, the woman beginning to sweat. She was now in a nervous mood.

"Yeah, you know. Happy was the one who told me."

"…Happy?" she said, not entirely a question. The celestial mage's face contorted into a look of intense anger. "I should have known…who else did he tell to?"

"Everybody," she replied simply, "he came to the guild looking really scared. You should have seen the look on his face when he arrived earlier—

 _"EVERYBODY! HELP!" cried out the blue Exceed, the feline looking terrified. "PLEASE! I NEED HELP!"_

 _"Happy! What's wrong?" asked Mirajane, the woman looking concerned._

 _"Yeah, if there's something wrong, you can always count on us." said Macao, the man not looking all that worried._

 _"It's horrible! I-it's terrible!" whined Happy, the cat looking completely heartbroken and torn. "It's downright scary! Please….help!"_

 _"Slow down, cat. Just tell us."_

 _"NATSU AND LUCY ARE DATING!"_

 _"WHAT?" exclaimed everybody._

 _"Yeah, you heard right! The two of them are together! I'm going to be replaced!"_

 _"Hold on a minute, why would you be replaced?" asked Carla, the ivory-coloured cat looking just as stern as always._

 _"You don't get it!" wailed Happy, the small wizard looking extremely bothered. "Think about it! If they're together there won't be time for me! I would just be the awkward third wheel or worst I'll just be lost and forgotten!"_

 _"I'm sure that won't happen."_

 _"Yeah," said Cana, as she downed another barrel of beer. "There's no way that they'd forget you._

 _"You don't know that!"_

 _"Cana's right. You've been Natsu's friend since childhood. There's no way that they'd stop caring about you._

 _"Fine!" sniffled the cat, tears streaming down his face. "If nobody wants to help me, I'll just have to do something myself!"_

 _And with that, he ran out of the guild, sobbing._

—And that's how everybody discovered about your relationship."

"I never knew…" Lucy said, her voice quiet, but she sprung up. "I know! I'll go to Happy and tell him that no matter what we'll always be a team!"

"I wouldn't do that if you would. It's best that you leave him sulking. Trust me, when he's upset he gets _upset._ "

"But if you don't he'd probably do something."

Something?

"What do you mean "something," Mira?"

"Oh, last time Natsu dated someone Happy did everything he could to break them up. He did some bizarre things to scare her off. And, boy, it _wasn't_ pretty."

"W-WHAT?" screamed Lucy, in a state of complete shock. "W-what kind of things?"

"You'll see," Mirajane said cryptically, the woman giving her a gentle smile.

"…it's that bad, isn't it?"

"You bet."

"Oh god, what have I gotten myself into?" wept the blonde.

 **…xX~~~Xx…**

After several days of waiting in the dark, nothing happened. But no matter how much time has passed she was in a state of fear. She tried avoiding going places where she was certain that she would encounter Happy. Even going as far as to avoid the guild, her guildmates and even her boyfriend. She was scared witless and she wasn't going to take any chances.

So, instead, she remained at home with the door locked and hiding underneath a blanket, her imagination going wild.

 _Knock! Knock!_ went her door, but the rapping of her door was not enough for her to get out of bed.

"Lucy, it's me Erza. Open up."

"E-erza?" whimpered Lucy, peeking out of her comforter. "Give me a moment."

Hauling herself of bed, she made a beeline to the door and opened it.

Only to see Erza and Happy.

Becoming shock-still, she nearly screamed, but stopped herself before she made a peep.

"Happy! Erza! C-come in!" she said, trying to regain her composure, as she invited them to go inside, her voice wavering.

"Lucy, Happy…" the redhead started, her voice serious. "Make up. Happy, you go first."

"I'm sorry for trying to prank you all this time…"

Wait.

He tried pranking her all this time?

Good thing she stayed at home, she thought, relived.

"Yeah, I had so many schemes planned up, but you never got out so I gave up…" said the cat, apologizing, but remaining unforgiving for his acts.

"That and Natsu got really upset for not seeing you as much as before. He thought you were avoiding him instead of me… I was happy that you weren't hanging out with him, but seeing him so glum made me feel bad."

"And?"

"Natsu accidently triggered one of my traps that I set up for you, but Erza was there and she got really mad and told me that I was going to far with my plans of separating you." The small feline confessed sounding sorry, but the content of his words made Lucy shudder.

Yeah, thank goodness that she stayed home.

"I wasn't talking about that, Happy." Said Erza, pointing it out.

"Oh, sorry. What I meant is that I am sorry that my trap was triggered by Erza."

"You know what I meant, Happy. Go on. Be honest." Chided the armoured woman.

"Do I have to?" complained Happy, his apologetic mood drastically changing to one of extreme guilt.

"I'm…I'm sorry for not supporting you and making such a big deal over my friendship with Nastu. I was being selfish, but I couldn't bare the thought of losing Natsu. He's like a brother to me, and I was worried…I was really worried that I would lose Natsu. I-I'm sorry, Lucy! Forgive me!"

Happy bawled and proceeded to glomp the woman. "I really am sorry…about not being a supportive friend, please don't hate me!"

"No worries, I forgive you."

She did forgive him until the next day. When she happened to trigger one of Happy's traps.

"HAPPY!" hollered the holder-type wizard, completely covered in whip cream from the pie that was flung to her face the moment she triggered the setup.

"I thought you were through with the traps?" inquired Erza, unamused.

"What are you talking about? Of course I did. I must have forgotten to remove the traps I made!" he answered in turn, knowing full well that he was responsible for Lucy's trouble.

But nonetheless, Erza seemed unhappy by his admittance.

"I expect you to clean up the mess you made and apologize to Lucy. And while you are at it—remove all the traps, and if anybody and I mean _anybody_ triggers any of them…" she said, implying a painful future for the Exceed with a single look.

"Ay, ay, Erza…" his tone meek.


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you mean that you never had raw cookie dough before?" exclaimed Natsu, completely speechless by Lucy's admission.

"Hey! It's not my fault. I came from a prestigious family and I heard that you can get sick from eating that stuff uncooked."

He sighed, unimpressed. "Excuses, excuses. I can't believe that you are the only person that never had that stuff! Here." He began, presenting a spoonful of the substance, hovering just in front of her mouth. "Eat."

"NO WAY!" she bellowed, taking a step back. "I am not going to get food poisoning because of you!"

Frowning from his girlfriend's unfavourable reaction, he stared at her. His face was devoid of any emotion. It was rather evident that the man was disappointed.

"It's not like it will kill you, Lucy. C'mon, just one spoon!" He insisted, bringing the spoon closer to her, waving it in an attempt to make it look enticing. But his efforts were in vain, Lucy's mouth was clamped shut, as she glared at the man, incensed.

"There is no way I am going to eat that stuff when it's not warm and toasty!"

"Okay, so why don't we heat it up for a couple of minutes?"

She glared at her significant other with a look of distaste.

"I promise, that if you eat just one bite of this stuff I'll propose to you today!" The man begged, desperate.

She looked at him with a look that lacked any approval, clearly uninterested. "As nice as that sounds. No. And we've only been dating for a while. It's only been two weeks. It's too soon for marriage. We can wait after a couple of more years."

Hearing those words, Natsu fell to the ground, hurt. His face flat on the floor, as he did his best to appear pathetic. "What do you mean you don't want to marry me?" He asked, whimpering.

"Look, I didn't say that I didn't want to marry you. I just said that it was too soon."

"Could you at least try the stuff?"

Giving him an unhappy look, she agreed. She grabbed the food utensil and reluctantly placed in her mouth. She chewed slowly, her face looking uncertain, and there was no indication that she was enjoying it. That was, until she gulped the substance down. Slowly, her face brightened and the corners of her lips formed a smile. She looked at him in the eye with a look of pleasure.

"So, how is it?"

"This is the most amazing stuff I have ever eaten!" she proclaimed, her eyes twinkling in ecstasy. "I can't believe what I have been missing!"

"See, I told ya' it was good!"

Grinning, she moved her face directly in front of his. She grabbed him by the head and gave her a short, but passionate kiss on the forehead. "Thanks, Natsu."

Pleased that he managed to convince the woman to try one of his favourite foods, he gave her a look of euphoria. Overjoyed that he could teach Lucy to enjoy the simple things in life.

"So, want to help me finish it?"

Surprised by her invitation, he nodded.

…xX~~~Xx…

After eating the entire tub of cookie dough, Lucy whined, feeling sick.

"Damn, you okay?" Natsu inquired, licking his fingers off of the sticky stuff.

Pained by her stomach ache, she rose her head to stare at the pink-haired man with a look of illness, as she covered her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from vomiting. "Ate too much cookie dough…" she spoke honestly, looking queasy.

"Ha! You ate like a pig!" He pointed out, joking.

In a miserable tone, she spoke.

"Shut up! It's your fault!"

"Yeah, right. Says the girl that ate more than me!"

Glaring at him, she moped.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you're upset."

Blushing, momentarily distracted from her agony, the woman looked at him with a hint of joy. Before she experienced a bout of nausea.

Natsu offered to bring her to the bathroom, which Lucy accepted, too weak to go there herself.

"Next time, I am never going to listen to you!" She said, her voice laced with pain.

"Hey, you could have stopped anytime." He responded, in a mood beyond happiness.

"Crap."

"Yeah, I hear ya'. It'll go away soon," he said, patting her back.

"Not what I meant…"

Perplexed, he gave her his undivided attention. "What's up?"

"We don't have anything to bring to the Christmas party!"

"…oh."

"What are we going to do? I can't bake in this state!"

With a fire in his eyes, he looked triumphant. "Leave everything to me!" The fire wizard announced.

"Please don't."

"You have such little faith in me. You could at least try to support me!"

"You can't cook, remember?" She pointed out, unmoved.

"Why don't you monitor me while I bake?"

Amazed by his intelligent suggestion, she took a moment and contemplated. "You know, that is actually a good idea."

"So, what do you do?"

"First we get the ingredients…we can buy premade dough at the market."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, I can't go and get it myself. All you have to do is buy is chocolate chip. Can you do that?" Lucy queried, looking him dead in the eye.

"Sheesh. You're acting like I'll eat it."

"You just might."

"I haven't even started! Have some confidence in me!"

"I'll give you a benefit of doubt. If you succeed I'll marry you the next day." She joked, not serious at all.

Unfortunately, Natsu didn't know that.

"…seriously?"

It was laughable how eager he was to become engaged to her. It was pretty cute. The blonde stifled a laugh, trying her best to not sound rude.

"…you're joking aren't you?" he questioned, a look of annoyance dominant on his face.

"I might…" the celestial user answered suggestively.

"…jerk."

"You know it!"

No longer in a sour mood, the man of fire gave her an endearing glance. "I'll be back. Just stay here and…try not to be sick."

"I'll try."

After half an hour of waiting, he was back with another container of cold dough.

"Ready to start?"

"Yeah," she replied, no longer feeling as awful. But she still hadn't completely recovered. "Hey, where's Happy? I haven't seen him all day."

"Hanging out at the guild…I told him that I wanted to be alone with you. He seemed pretty alright with that."

"…I see."

Well that sounded fishy.

Happy being "alright" with the two of them being alone together was something that hadn't happened. Just what was he planning? Happy was usually unhappy whenever he had to leave the two alone. Was he scheming something? Maybe he was finally alright with their relationship. Even though he stopped trying to prank her, he was still in a bitter mood.

Either way, she had a bad feeling.

Once they finished making the cookies, Natsu was covered in flour and looked less than presentable to go to the party. But he looked radiant, the mage feeling successful after finishing his task. It was an accomplishment. Lucy was actually pretty proud of his achievement.

"Ready to go?"

"Na-uh," he chided, wiggling a finger. "You need a shower."

"What!" Hollered Natsu, shocked. "I thought it was too soon for us to bathe together! You don't even want to marry me yet!"

"Natsu, I'm not going to shower with you."

"You can't watch either."

Baffled and extremely irked, she gave him a look of intensity. "I'm not watching either. What am I? A pervert?"

"I read your stories…" he suggested, attempting to provoke the female wizard.

"…I don't write erotica."

"It was worth a shot."

"Anyway, take a shower. You need one after being covered in flour."

"Fine."

"Want to help?"

"Natsu, just take the damn shower. You can flirt later."

"You're never fun," he teased, before he began stripping.

"GO TO THE BATHROOM!"

"I thought you would have liked to watch…" he mumbled, still in a joking mood.

"Yeah, no. I thought you didn't want me to see you naked."

"I didn't mean that you couldn't see me naked. I just don't want you to be in the shower with me."

"You're joking, right? THAT'S PRATICALLY THE SAME THING!"

"You take things too seriously. I just wanted to see your reaction. I wasn't actually going to let you see me naked." He admitted, no longer messing with the golden-haired lady, but he soon decided to continue his charade. "Not unless you want me to…"

"Yeah, whatever. Take this as a no."

"You're so serious."

"And you're too laidback!"

"Aw, I only do this because I love you!"

Sighing, still a bit upset, she calmed down. "Yeah, I love you too. Now go take a shower!" she demanded, pushing him to the bathroom, and shutting the door behind him.

"You know what? I changed my mind, why don't you shower with me?"

"You're an idiot."

"But I'm your idiot!"

"JUST TAKE THE DARN SHOWER!"


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a month since her confession, and everyday she would hear commentary regarding it. All positive, but rude nonetheless.

Much to Lucy's chagrin, she was teased nonstop. Especially by the other girls. It couldn't be helped, and while she was prepared for a possible rejection, what she didn't expect was the jokes that arose by her newfound relationship status. Even the local magazines and papers had articles involved about her romantic life. And each article possessed a lot of private details regarding both persons. It even had an interview with Happy—but instead of discussing about the saucy information involving things in the bedroom, all it was about was Happy's love for fish. How the article even got published was beyond her knowledge. Apparently, the public loved fish.

Regardless, things were a lot eventful since word got out.

More so than usually, that is.

"Hey, you know what?" asked Natsu, a mischievous glint in his eyes. It was obvious that he had something in mind.

"What?" asked Lucy, her mind not entirely focused on the conversation. She was far too engrossed in her writing that she didn't even bother looking at him throughout the duration of her session.

"If we were in an anime, people would totally ship us."

"…What?" the blonde said in return, stunned and dumbfounded. She had a look of exasperation that was laced with confusion. She was practically speechless by her friend's statement.

"Oh, really? What makes you say that?" She asked, humouring him. She was certain that this was nothing more than a joke. After all, it wasn't like anybody should take Natsu too seriously. He was such a dunce—a loveable dunce, but a dunce nonetheless.

"Well think about it…" he started. "We're always together, we go on missions together and we even sleep on the same bed!"

"But not together!" the heiress yelled, shocked. "Where did you even come up with this?"

"It wasn't me. It was something that Cana suggested. I just thought that the idea was hilarious. I just had to share!"

"Yeah, okay. Either way if we were in an anime and we were being shipped…well, you do realize what this means, correct?"

"No. Not really…" he murmured, in deep thought. "What are you implying?" he questioned, giving her his undivided attention.

"Oh, man. Don't make me say it!" she whined, embarrassed.

"C'mon, spit it out! I'm the only one here," Natsu urged, staring at her with excitement.

"There…there…well, you see…"

"Yes?" he prodded once more.

In a small voice that barely rose more than a whisper she spoke. "Porn."

"…what?" the rose-haired man said, just barely catching what she said. But once he realized the word she had uttered, realization dawned at him. Catching him by surprise. "Oh, man! Is that why Cana said that people will ship us? I know we sleep in the same bed, but it's not like I would make a move on you! I swear!" he cried out, afraid. He waved his hands in a frantic pace, beyond disconcerted.

He said it in such a way that he came across as both bewildered, but mortified. Something that greatly annoyed the woman.

Irked by his reaction, she frowned. "Hey! Are you saying I'm not good enough?"

"Of course not, pumpkin!"

"…pumpkin? Since when was I "pumpkin?'"

He froze, tense. His eyes were downcast, and he looked authentically sombre. "Sorry, I'm still new to the whole dating thing. But Mirajane said that terms of endearment like "pumpkin" would make us a lot more closer. She said that it was cute." He rubbed the back of his head, apologetic. He looked flustered. It was hard to not stay mad at a guy sporting a look this sweet.

Sighing, she smiled. "It's fine, but don't sweat it. I'm new to this too. There's no need to act like someone you're not. I like you for who you are, and I don't want you to change—even if it's for me. I fell for you because you treated me more than just a friend. You treated me as if I was family. In fact, we are still friends, and we are still family." She admitted, hoping that her words reached him.

It worked, the man became less tense, but his mood remained the same.

"So," he started, loss for words. "I heard that everybody is making fun of you."

"I wouldn't say 'making fun of me—'"

"You're bothered by it, aren't you?" he interrupted, knowing that he was right.

A small frown appeared on her face, and she looked away, ashamed.

"You're right," she said, quiet. "I try not to be bothered, but I get so mad whenever they joke. It's hurtful. I know it is all in good fun, but I hate being the centre of attention when all the attention is based off our relationship. It's like all they care about is our relationship—not our friendship."

"I totally get it. You feel like that the only thing your friends care about is us—not us as individuals, but as an item."

"Yeah, that's exactly it!"

"Yeah, I know how it feels. All the guys back at Fairy Tail keep congratulating me and acting happy over our relationship. When it should be you happy over our relationship. It seems like everybody is more happy about this than you."

"I'm sorry."

"What for? It's my fault, I'm such an idiot that everybody is making you for a fool."

Since when was Natsu worried about being an idiot?

"Listen. Don't get upset over this. While it seems like all they care about is making you feel awful, don't. They're actually really happy about us getting together. They just like being jerks about it because they have nothing better to do—not because they don't approve. Trust me, they do approve of our relationship."

"Wow, Natsu. I never knew you were so perceptive of the minds of others."

"It comes with the nose," he admitted nonchalantly.

"So, if I may ask, does anybody else think we're shipping material?"

"Everybody."

"Every…everybody?" she stuttered, horrified.

"Yup?"

"…Porn?" she asked, scared at what the answer would be.

"…Yes."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"Geez! I was joking!" Natsu said, laughing with great mirth. "Oh man! You should have seen the look on your face!"

"You moron," Lucy insulted, aggravated.

"So…about the porn?"

"Shut up. Right now. Before I kick you out."

"Aw, you're no fun," he joked.

He perked up, remembering something.

"Where's Happy?" he inquired, not very concerned by his absence, but worried nonetheless.

"Oh? You forgot? He's hanging out with Wendy and Carla."

"Oh, yeah. I remember. Still trying to impress her?"

"You know it."

"Hey, why don't we go on a date?"

"A mission isn't a date, Natsu."

"Pfft, I know. We're not going on a mission."

This certainly piqued the golden-haired woman's attention.

"What do you suggest?"

"Why not go out and eat? I'm starving!"

Typical of Natsu to think about food at a time like this, but she couldn't lie, she was feeling rather peckish. But she couldn't help but tease.

"Ramen isn't exactly worthy of a date."

"You know what I meant! Let's eat at a restaurant."

"You know, that actually sounds good. Where to?"

"Why not go to the restaurant we ate before? The one we first met at!" he suggested, jovial.

"But that's so far away!"

"We can always eat here, and afterwards we could always make the trip."

"What about Happy?"

"He did say he would be gone for a couple of days going on missions with Carla, Wendy, Gray and Erza."

"Wait," she started, finally comprehending where this was going. "You asked everybody to give us some time just for ourselves, didn't you?"

"Well, it is our first month anniversary! Why not enjoy the time together—away from all the teasing?"

"Oh, Natsu! You really do care. I'm so happy that you remembered! You really are sweet!" she proclaimed, giving him a huge hug. Her chest was completely blocking Natsu's airways, suffocating him.

Speaking in a muffled voice, hard to hear, he said, "Can't breath!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry Natsu!" apologized the celestial mage, embarrassed.

"No p-problem!" he said, fainting.

"NATSU!" cried out Lucy, completely astonished by his involuntarily action. She shook him in a furious pace back and forth. But it was obvious that he would not awaken anytime soon.

Giving up, she decided to begin preparations for the trip.

After awhile, Natsu was finally back on his feet.

"Sorry for fainting…but…well, your assets were the cause of it…"

She laughed in return, feeling a lot more light-hearted.

"So, ready to go?" she prompted, already packed for the both of them.

"You know, babe, you're the best!"

"No problem—"

"Stop!" he yelled, scaring the female wizard senseless.

"What!"

"I don't want to faint again…"

"Oh…yeah. Sorry." She responded meekly.

"So, if you don't mind, how long was I out?"

"An hour."

"WHAT? AN HOUR? WE'RE LOSING DAYLIGHT! LET'S GO!"

He grabbed her forcibly by the arm and began dashing his way out.

"WAIT YOU IDIOT! OUR STUFF!" she screamed, but her voice fell on deaf ears.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, come on. You know you love me!"

"I'd sell you to Satan for one corn chip," replied the busty blonde, the woman looking at the rose-haired male with a look of distaste. She was livid. The woman was in a rather foul mood and she had no tolerance for the man's inane behaviour. Lucy wasn't above using her words to express her irritation, and chose to chew Natsu out.

"You can't be serious! I'm at least worth an extra two chips!" he argued back, oblivious to how moronic he presented himself.

"…you're an idiot."

"Why are you so mad anyway? Don't you want to go out on a mission?"

"No!"

"Why? You're more cranky than usual. Spill. What's wrong?"

"Listen. Is it so wrong for a girl to want some alone time?" she tried arguing back, the woman hiding something.

"Last time this happened, you were having boy trouble."

Heaving out a sigh, the woman pinched her nose. Opening her eyes, she averted her gaze away from her boyfriend. "Listen, it's not boy trouble."

"If it's not about boys, then what's the problem?" Natsu prodded, the man growing impatient.

"Hint: it happens every month."

"Paying rent?"

"…of course that would be your first thought." She muttered the celestial wizard growing more bothered.

"Can't you just tell me what's wrong? If it's so bad that you can't tell me than you need help."

"Fine. I'm going through Mother Nature's monthly gift."

"…I don't get it."

"It's better that way."

"Fine, if you won't talk. Then can you at least explain why this happens around the same time every month?"

"…jeez. Fine, I am on my period."

"...what the heck is that?" the flame mage blurted out, perplexed. "Is that another way of saying you have food poisoning?"

"Like I said, I would sell you for one corn chip."

" _Three_ corn chips."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

"Are you still mad?"

"Get. Out. Now."

"But—!"

"NOW!" she hollered, throwing the closest objects she could grab.

"ALRIGHT!" he yelled in turn, the man deftly dodging everything being thrown his way. He just barely managed to escape and closed the door just in a nick of time before he was hit by a vase.

No way was he going back in there, he thought, mulling over his options.

Perturbed, he gave up trying to convince his cranky significant other from joining him and Happy on a mission. He knew that the golden-haired woman was easy to annoy. Saying this was an understatement. She was a very ornery creature—quick to anger, and hard to calm down. When things that happen like this all Natsu Dragneel could do was wait it out and avoid her whenever possible until she spoke to him in a tone that wasn't filled with wrath. He honestly wished that the former heiress would be less privy about her ordeals. If she had a problem she shouldn't be afraid to disclose such information to him. He was, after all, her boyfriend.

What was a period anyway?

Maybe he should ask someone.

"NATSU!" yelled Happy, the blue feline looking jovial. "Is Lucy going with us?"

Frowning, he looked at Happy with a hint of frustration. "I wish. Apparently she's on her period."

"…she has food poisoning?"

"…I have no idea."

"Well whatever it is, I hope she gets over it."

"Yeah, same here."

"Should we go by ourselves?"

"Nah. I'm not in the mood right now."

"How about we ask Mirajane what's up with Lucy?"

"…you think she could help us?" he asked, his interest perked.

 **…** **xX~~~Xx…**

"HEY, MIRA!"

"Yes, Natsu?" greeted the ivory-haired wizard, always in a good mood.

"What's a period?"

"…excuse me?"

"Lucy is going through 'Mother Nature's monthly gift.' Or whatever it is. Can you help us?"

Upon hearing Dragneel's words, the woman remained pleasant, but her face revealed an inkling of confusion. "Do you mind repeating that? I'm afraid that I heard wrong."

"What's a period?"

"Oh, dear…am I really the one that should explain?" she complained, not exactly in the mood of explaining the biological processes of what makes a woman a woman. Nonetheless, she wasn't the type to avoid such awkward situations. Drawing in a deep breath, she began explaining.

Frightening both males with facts and details that mentally scarred them.

No wonder Lucy was against telling them such things. It was mortifying being taught sex education. Especially in front of everybody in the guild. The moment she began explaining, it was like everybody had to pay attention to towards the discussion. Such a lecture resulted in all the males in Fairy Tail to be shocked by the graphic details of female anatomy and the gross processes of how the female body worked. This was a shock for every man in the building—even those that were married were _still_ bothered by the explanation.

"Man, who knew women had it so rough?" piped Gray Fullbuster, the ice sorcerer both disgusted and at awe.

"…I'll never look at Lucy the same way again…how can you bleed every month for several days without _dying_? It's unreal!"

"You seriously didn't know that?" questioned Gajeel, one of the few men that hadn't been too grossed out by the explanations. "You mean to tell me that you can't _smell_ them? Every month a woman reeks of blood when their times come. How could you have remained clueless for so long?"

"…so that's what I was smelling. That explains a lot."

"And yet you managed to snatch a girl."

"Goes to show you that anybody could find love—even if they happen to be a moron."

"Shut up, Gray!"

"Just sayin'."


End file.
